France 1640-A 4 louis d'or

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Heritage sale 3096, lot 30160
H3096-30160r.jpg

This specimen was lot 30160 in Heritage auction 3096 (Dallas, TX, March 2021), where it sold for $144,000. The catalog description[1] noted,

"Minimally Circulated Quadruple Louis d'Or. France. Louis XIII gold 4 Louis d'Or 1640-A AU Details (Mount Removed) NGC, Paris mint. Of astonishing preservation for this incredibly rare Quatre Louis d'or type, of which perhaps only seven are thought to exist today. Known as a "Homage-Piece," the large gold pieces of this type were struck for presentation to the King by the engraver Jean Warin as a preview before the adoption of a new monetary system, and were often used as currency for the King's table games. The present specimen vastly exceeds the quality of the other three examples we could locate adequate images of, including the Gadoury plate coin, which display significantly more wear than is seen here. In fact, circulation wear is absolutely minimal, the features retaining exquisite highpoint detail, most markedly portrayed in Louis' hair curls and the intricate reverse crowns, while the legends remain consistently sharp throughout the obverse and reverse alike. All the while, a lustrous gleam resides over the fields, confirming a decidedly near-Mint preservation. Only faint traces of a prior mount, likely an artifact traceable to an individual of some importance due to the nature of the piece, serves as the only (insignificant) flaw to what is by all accounts a survivor of prodigious numismatic importance. From the Paramount Collection."

In the 1640's the regime of Louis XIII finally prevailed upon reluctant mint officals to switch from hammered to milled coinage. As part of the transition, new gold coins were introduced. The louis d'or and double louis d'or of Louis XIII were struck 1640-43 in fairly large quantities in an attempt to displace the miscellaneous écus d'or of earlier in the reign and that of Henri IV. Larger pieces, including four, eight and ten louis, were struck for presentation but never issued for circulation. Altho the Paris mint restruck some of the eight louis and ten louis, all remain rare.

Recorded mintage: 7.

Specification: 27 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 26.83 g.

Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 16, KM 111, Fr-408, Gad-60 (R5), Ciani-1610, Dupl-1296.

Source:

  • Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
  • Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
  • Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 4e édition. Paris: AFPN, 2009.
  • Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
  • Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
  • [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano and Warren Tucker, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3096, featuring the Paramount Collection of World & Ancient Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.

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